Oct. 5, 2008

Chapel Hill, N.C. ------ The University of North Carolina football team is back in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time 2001. The Tar Heels received 196 votes to rank No. 22 in this week's poll.

Carolina was ranked No. 22 in the AP poll for one week in 2001, but fell out of the rankings after losing at No. 23 Georgia Tech on Nov. 1, 2001.

Carolina is not ranked in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 poll, falling just 10 points/votes shy.

Notre Dame, the Tar Heels next opponent, received votes in both polls, but is not ranked. The game against the Irish will be the first time the two schools have met when Carolina is ranked and Notre Dame is not.

AP Top 25
1. Oklahoma (51) 5-0 1,608
2. Alabama (13) 6-0 1,537
3. Missouri (1) 5-0 1,487
4. LSU 4-0 1,444
5. Texas 5-0 1,374
6. Penn State 6-0 1,287
7. Texas Tech 5-0 1,163
8. USC 3-1 1,137
9. Brigham Young 5-0 1,103
10. Georgia 4-1 1,014
11. Florida 4-1 977
12. Ohio State 5-1 931
13. Vanderbilt 5-0 833
14. Utah 6-0 815
15. Boise State 4-0 677
16. Kansas 4-1 623
17. Oklahoma State 5-0 565
18. Virginia Tech 5-1 485
19. South Florida 5-1 392
20. Auburn 4-2 236
21. Wake Forest 3-1 205
22. North Carolina 4-1 196
23. Michigan State 5-1 161
24. Pittsburgh 4-1 121
25. Ball State 6-0 97